Spending and saving

Collocations, Stage 3chunk 12 of 23Time, money & plans

Two verb pairs for money going out and piling up: spend money, pay by card, save up, collect points.

• okane o tsukauspend money
• kaado o tsukaupay by card
• okane o tamerusave up money
• pointo o tamerucollect loyalty points

Mix-ups Spending money is tsukau (use), never sugosu, which is only for time; the same tsukau asks about cards (kaado tsukaemasu ka?). tameru is saving money and collecting points alike, not hozon suru or setsuyaku.

okane o tsukau

polite okane o tsukaimasuheard 59×

spend money

お金を使う おかねをつかうPlay お金を使いますPlay

verbtsukau 使うuse; spend (money, effort)typical 4% of okane

trap Dictionaries give tsuiyasu for 'spend', which is formal, and sugosu, which is only for time. Everyday spending is tsukau, 'use': ryokou de ichiman en tsukatta.

Mostly about spending too much, or on what: kongetsu okane tsukaisugita, nani ni sonna ni tsukatta no?. Once an amount is said, okane drops: ichiman en tsukatchatta.

casualPlay

kongetsu, okane tsukaisugichatta.

I've spent too much this month.

今月、お金使いすぎちゃった。

politePlay

kongetsu wa okane o tsukaisugichaimashita.

I've spent too much this month.

今月はお金を使いすぎちゃいました。

Wasting money is mudazukai: mudazukai shichatta.

Same verb: chokin (savings), kyuuryou (wages)Learn alongside: okane ga kakaru, ikura suru, nedan ga takai, okane o harauMain list: tsukau (Stage 3), -sugiru (Stage 4), -chau (Stage 1), kakaru (Stage 4)

kaado o tsukau

polite kaado o tsukaimasuheard 79×

pay by card

カードを使う カードをつかうPlay カードを使いますPlay

verbtsukau 使うusetypical 14% of kaado

trap 'Do you take cards?' is kaado tsukaemasu ka? (can I use a card?), not kaado torimasu ka?.

Mostly as the question at a till or before going in: kaado tsukaemasu ka? (or kaado daijoubu desu ka?), answered hai, daijoubu desu or hai, otsukai itadakemasu, or genkin nomi desu (cash only). The particle often drops, or becomes ga with the potential: kaado ga tsukaeru.

casualPlay

koko, kaado tsukaeru?

Do they take cards here?

ここ、カード使える？

politePlay

koko, kaado tsukaemasu ka?

Do you take cards here?

ここ、カード使えますか？

When paying, you say kaado de onegai shimasu. For a credit card, staff may ask oshiharai kaisuu wa?; the answer is ikkatsu de or ikkai de (in one payment).

Same verb: kuupon (a coupon), pointo (loyalty points), denshi manee (phone or IC-card payment)Main list: tsukau (Stage 3), -eru / -rareru (Stage 2), toru (Stage 4)

okane o tameru

polite okane o tamemasuheard 19×

save up money

お金を貯める おかねをためるPlay お金を貯めますPlay

verbtameru 貯めるlet something build up; store uptypical 1% of okane

trap English 'save' leads to hozon suru (save a file), tasukeru (rescue) or setsuyaku (cut back). Saving up is tameru, 'pile up'. chokin suru also works.

For saving toward something, usually as tameteru (I'm saving): ryokou no okane tameteru. okane ga tamatta means you've finally saved enough.

casualPlay

ima ryokou no okane tameteru n da

I'm saving up for a trip.

今旅行のお金貯めてるんだ

politePlay

ima ryokou no okane o tameteru n desu

I'm saving up for a trip.

今旅行のお金を貯めてるんです

Intransitive partner: okane ga tamaru (the money builds up). Points work the same way: pointo o tameru. The same sound also means letting things pile up through neglect: shigoto o tameru, sutoresu ga tamaru (溜める).

Same verb: sutanpu (stamps on a loyalty card), mairu (air miles)Learn alongside: pointo o tameruMain list: tsukau (Stage 3)

pointo o tameru

polite pointo o tamemasuheard —rarely

collect loyalty points

ポイントを貯める ポイントをためるPlay ポイントを貯めますPlay

verbtameru 貯めるlet something build up; store up

Said about the point cards and apps at konbini, drugstores and supermarkets: itsumo koko de pointo tameteru. At the till staff ask pointo kaado omochi desu ka? (do you have a points card?).

casualPlay

itsumo koko de pointo tameteru n da.

I always collect points here.

いつもここでポイント貯めてるんだ。

politePlay

itsumo koko de pointo o tameteru n desu.

I always collect points here.

いつもここでポイントを貯めてるんです。

Same verb as okane o tameru; kasegu is for racking points up fast (poikatsu de pointo kasegu). pointo ga tsuku = points get added; to spend them, staff ask pointo otsukai ni narimasu ka? (hai, tsukaimasu).

Same verb: sutanpu (stamps on a loyalty card), mairu (air miles)Learn alongside: okane o tameruMain list: tsukau (Stage 3), motsu (Stage 1)